Chapter 504

——"Hecatia Lapislazuli".

——"She is a deity who presides over the three realms' Hell of the Moon, Earth, and the Otherworld".

The moment he read the relevant information, Xia Zhi subconsciously made an association.

Mainly, he suspected the other party most likely had another identity, which should be Hekate, the Hell Goddess and Triple Goddess of Greek Mythology.

It is said she is the Empress, the Road Goddess, the Underworld Queen, the Goddess of Opportunity...

In the authority distributed by Zeus to the Gods, Hekate enjoys a special status.

This Goddess does not explicitly belong to the Heavenly Gods or Earthly Gods; in the world of Gods classified by Element, she represents a certain game, joy, and chance, representing the randomness of fate.

Consequently, her privileges are unrestricted.

From this point of view, she is indeed a Goddess of transcendent status who cannot be ignored.

It's just that her image is truly somewhat difficult to accept——

According to mythological records, Hekate has three faces with three bodies underneath, a three-faced, three-bodied Goddess joined together.

This would more or less cause one to lose SAN, enough to make ordinary folk's rationality collapse...

However, the Hecatia manifesting before Xia Zhi's eyes right now was not like that.

The Qi Refining scholar read this Goddess's information without the slightest courtesy.

He discovered her situation was possessing three bodies, simultaneously existing in the Moon, Earth, and the Three Realms Hell of the Otherworld.

Moreover, her core Soul is entirely in Hell, and she usually resides in Hell as well.

She can switch manifested bodies as freely as switching strings, and can also manifest all three bodies simultaneously; such elegant use of Authority adds a few points of divine composure compared to the mythological records.

"Mm! How strange, your gaze is very impolite..."

At this time, Hecatia came before the Qi Refining scholar.

She tilted her head, blinked her eyes, and the corner of her mouth curved up with a playful arc.

"Could it be you were frightened by my sudden appearance?" This Goddess suddenly leaned close, a prankish smile blooming on her face.

But without waiting for an answer, she giggled again, her body leaning back, movements exaggerated as if dancing an impromptu waltz.

"But——being looked at by such a strange gaze is actually quite pleasant!"

"..."

"..."

Why does it feel like she's spouting some kind of fallacy?

Shiki Eiki couldn't help but pull at the corner of her mouth, but this one was originally this kind of disposition, free and unfettered.

She could also more or less guess the other party's psychology.

If forced to say, it's probably novelty... yes, novelty.

The other party's status is too high, strength too strong; she probably hasn't encountered something similar in a long time, being treated casually with a relatively equal attitude by an existence powerful enough.

"This one is Hecatia Lapislazuli-sama..."

The green-haired Yama Girl didn't dwell on it too much, but her thoughts turned rapidly; she turned around and very straightforwardly introduced her to the youth beside her——

"She is a commander of Hell, but far more ancient than the current Hell system..."

"Hecatia-sama already existed as a Goddess of Hell before Shikieiki's Court was established..."

"As for the matter of Hell establishing organization and order, that was a later matter..."

In a certain sense, the current afterlife order exists thanks to this Hell Goddess's tacit permission, although accurately speaking, she simply finds it irrelevant.

And Shiki Eiki's introduction wasn't aimless either; she was also staring tightly at the youth before her, scrutinizing his expression.

If there is anyone who can stop this fellow...

Hecatia is absolutely one of them, at least in Shiki Eiki's view...

No matter the reason, this Hell Goddess has finally noticed the movement over here; perhaps a turning point lies within.

"Oh my, how annoying, don't mention past matters, and there's no need to deliberately emphasize ancientness." Hecatia spoke with a smile.

"As for this one..."

Shiki Eiki remained unmoved, and instead began introducing the youth.

"I am Xia Zhi, seventeen years old this year, Nascent Soul Cultivation."

Xia Zhi, however, smiled faintly and took the initiative to continue: "Just a Qi Refining scholar passing by out of interest."

"Hm? Seventeen? Feeling a bit suspicious..."

Because she wasn't very familiar with the Gensokyo side, Hecatia didn't realize the punchline in this sentence.

She merely frowned, looking at the person before her with slight skepticism, her eyes full of disbelief.

"And what does 'just a passing Qi Refining scholar' mean?"

"It means the literal meaning; I'm simply just passing by, simply making a brief appearance in this world..." Xia Zhi explained very modestly.

"Heh, just passing by, can that cause such a big commotion..."

The Goddess couldn't help but sneer.

She sized up the Opposite Side and spoke with great interest: "Earlier Junishi came to find me again, trying to persuade me to join hands with her to deal with the Moon Capital..."

"The result was, before she could say more than a few sentences, she discovered the Moon Capital was already gone..."

"Oh, should say the Moon Capital is still there, just completely turned into something else..."

Xia Zhi listened very patiently at first, then very politely raised a question: "Who is Junishi?"

——Seems like another character I've never heard of.

——Just like this Hecatia Lapislazuli before my eyes, leaving him with not much impression.

——Could it be I've gotten old too?

Mm, no, it's clearly because my own World stopped advancing, so some things forever stopped in the past times.

Sigh, time truly spares no one.

"Hey! You wouldn't know them, I'll introduce you next time we have the chance——"

The Goddess of Hell waved her hand dismissively, then immediately perked up with interest and leaned in close to him.

"Anyway, what's the deal with that kind of power?"

"You mean……"

"Don't play dumb, I mean……Spiritual Energy, mhm, that should be the name, right?" Hecatia recalled slightly.

That name seemed only natural.

From the moment she sensed that emerging Qi Ji and the energy tides it triggered, such a cognition naturally sprouted.

Of course——

There are also names like "Origin Qi", "Qi Ji", and the like.

But collectively calling it "Spiritual Energy" is completely fine.

At least among the many world-spaces covered by a Qi Refiner's Qi Ji, they can all be uniformly addressed by this Designated Title.

——In a world without Spiritual Energy, it would manifest as the existence form of Spiritual Energy;

——And in a world that inherently possesses the concept of Spiritual Energy, it would assimilate Pangea, gradually merging into it……

Ultimately, gradually replacing its ecological niche!

Although being able to do all this was the result of his prior meticulous and detailed assessment, roughly confirming that the Opposite Side's world had no extraneous-grade powers.

At least from the perspective of laws and common sense, there were no signs of super-scale existence.

Only thus could his Mana Qi smoothly descend into the corresponding Mortal World, covering all existence.

But it must be said, among the various worlds currently projected upon by Nascent Soul Cultivators, this is a universally applicable law.

"How exactly is it?" Xia Zhi smiled gently, asking with great interest: "Any impressions?"

"Impressions ah……Very strong."

Hecatia pondered for a moment, then nodded very definitely, giving such a direct and clear impression.

Very strong.

Extremely strong.

Truth be told, it was precisely because she sensed the Spiritual Energy tide emerge and the laws of Heaven and Earth change that she noticed some changes on the Earth side.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have noticed at all.

And from Hecatia's perspective, the process of Spiritual Energy's appearance was even extremely shocking.

An unprecedented grand Qi Ji, connecting Origin and End, rose up.

It comes from the ancient past, goes toward the Eternal, evolving Ten Thousand Things.

Like Skynet vast and wide, enveloping the Three Realms.

And Hecatia could clearly perceive that it was not simply "power", but an existence close to law——

Constantly evolving, flowing.

Like the pulse of life, yet also like the Trajectory of fate.

It is both the Breath of life and the foundation of Ten Thousand Things, even faintly surpassing Divine Authority.

This is very interesting.

The curious Goddess, following the Trajectory of Spiritual Energy, traced back continuously, finally finding the Qi Refiner who had not concealed his tracks.

The latter was visiting Hell at the time.

Strictly speaking, that was precisely the domain Hecatia controlled, so she very straightforwardly swapped space to before herself——

Preparing to properly get to know this figure.

"Very strong ah……" The youth was thoughtful, "Then has Hecatia-sama tried embracing this power?"

"That's for later……" The Goddess responded with a grin. "I need to properly observe what you intend to do first."

Although her viewpoint is similarly affected by the Height of her strength, so she also couldn't grasp the full picture.

——Unable to realize that Spiritual Energy is no ordinary power.

——But a fishing line cast down by an existence from Above.

All Living Beings who inhale and exhale Qi Ji, cultivating through this, are like fish biting the hook, never again able to escape this Formless net.

Their fate, Dao Path, and even the Trajectory of their Souls, are all woven into this vast and boundless order.

Although, strictly speaking, this is actually mutual prosperity and mutual loss, after all Xia Zhi has no intention or plan to harvest all beings through this.

He's not Gaius, having some grand plan to realize but insufficient Fuel, only able to push all Humanity toward energy conversion, repeatedly squeezing the Heat of life……

That Possibility doesn't exist.

His Mana is inexhaustible, usable without end, that scale of existence and Output Power are beyond what ordinary people……

No, ordinary Lifeforms, even ordinary Civilizations, can entirely fail to Imagine.

If there is anything his Mana cannot achieve, then it is absolutely not a gap that can be made up by harvesting some low-level intelligent beings and squeezing life Heat.

Therefore such a thing is absolutely impossible to happen.

Xia Zhi's Behavior is more like providing a platform and Convenience, then collecting user account data through this.

For example, right now he has already begun analyzing "Realm Power"……

In a certain sense, it counts as an exchange of benefits……

It's just that not everyone can be this objective, viewing things from another's perspective, so it's easy to associate toward the Direction of conspiracy theories.

Hecatia is exactly like this, even if she cannot observe that scene of Spiritual Energy fishing the myriad worlds, she still feels there must be some intent behind it.

In short, she has no reason for urgent action, so she plans to quietly watch and wait.

"Oh, I should take a good look——"

Xia Zhi also had no intention of forcing a deal, and casually changed the subject: "Then, let us talk about that matter from before..."

"Does Lady Hecatia have any intention of joining? Coming to my side's afterlife to help manage order and such?"

"Oh? This proposal is interesting — not only preparing to poach Ying Ji, but preparing to poach me as well?"

The Goddess wasn't angry either, just asked seriously: "You wouldn't happen to have a collecting habit, would you? Seeing an outstanding girl and wanting to pull her into your own bowl?"

"How could that be—"

Xia Zhi would of course not admit it:

"It's just that I happened to run into you, so I asked along the way; moreover, if this side's Hell completely shuts down later, Lady Hecatia, you'd be bored too, no?"

"That's not necessarily so..."

The Hell Goddess hmphed twice, "But I'll ask anyway — if I really go to your world, what treatment are you prepared to give me?"

"Naturally a high-level management post too, the treatment is absolutely guaranteed!" The Qi Refining practitioner raised a thumb, promising readily.

"Just high-level management?"

Hecatia frowned in dissatisfaction: "Shouldn't it be that the entire afterlife falls under my command?"

"..."

"..."

"This..."

Xia Zhi stroked his chin, and the figure of the Underworld Mistress he served appeared before his eyes.

Then, looking at Hecatia before him, he revealed an embarrassed yet sincere expression.

"May I ask bluntly—" The Qi Refining practitioner gazed straight into the Goddess's pupils, "Can you do Tengen Toppa?"

(Chapter End)